Accessible information

If you use a smart phone, or tablet, you’ll no doubt use apps. Unfortunately we all know how frustrating it is to come across what sounds like a great app, only to find out that it’s inaccessible that's why we're working to strengthen EU law in this area.

Campaigners from across London and the South East made a series of visits to newly designed Barclays branches in London last month to assess the new design and discuss how the bank could make their services more accessible.

Education campaigning

You may have heard that the Government are making changes to Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). We would like to hear from you if you are currently receiving DSA funded support or if you have done so in the past.

A new report out by Every Disabled Child Matters - a coalition we belong to that campaigns for the needs of disabled children, young people and their families - is calling on political parties to commit to addressing the needs of disabled children and young people ‘right from the start’.

Employment campaigns

We at RNIB strongly support the Access to Work scheme because it enables blind and partially sighted people of working age to become economically active and independent. On 19 December 2014, the Work and Pensions Select Committee released a report about how the Access to Work scheme is currently working, and how it can be improved.

Protecting welfare support

We at RNIB strongly support the Access to Work scheme because it enables blind and partially sighted people of working age to become economically active and independent. On 19 December 2014, the Work and Pensions Select Committee released a report about how the Access to Work scheme is currently working, and how it can be improved.

Save our sight

We continue to call for the Secretary of State for Health to instruct the UK regulators (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) to review the use of Avastin for use in the eye. We believe this should happen before any Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) decide to use Avastin to treat eye conditions.

During February, in collaboration with the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind, we held four focus groups to help shape and create an evidence base for a new information, advice and support service at the Sheffield Hallamshire Eye Clinic.

Social care

Local campaigners, our Regional Campaigns Officer for Yorkshire and Humber, and Hull and East Riding Institute for the Blind have successfully campaigned for better rehabilitation support in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

On 24 October the Government published the Care Act regulations and guidance which set out how local authorities should provide care and support in England. There is a lot to be welcomed. Thanks so much to everyone who has got involved with our social campaign! Without this amazing amount of activity we would not have had such a huge impact on social care.

Talking ATMs

Campaigners from across London and the South East made a series of visits to newly designed Barclays branches in London last month to assess the new design and discuss how the bank could make their services more accessible.

The latest Envision steering group meeting was held at our Judd Street office on 23 October in order for the group to plan the next stages of the network’s coffee shop campaign and to think about the next campaign and elections to the next steering group.

Regional Campaigns Officer for the East Midlands, Claire Lawrence, begins training the staff at Nottingham Capital Arena in Visual Awareness in early January to continue to improve the service offered to the Arena's customers with sight loss.

London

Campaigners from across London and the South East made a series of visits to newly designed Barclays branches in London last month to assess the new design and discuss how the bank could make their services more accessible.

Following years of campaigning, our London volunteer campaigner Mohammed Mohsan Ali has succeeded in his campaign to get the British Transport Police to present information on their ID badges in braille!

Sunderland campaigners Peter Carling, Elaine Lithgoe and Mary Hewison met with Sunderland City Councillor Michael Mordey and council officers on 12 February to discuss street obstructions in the city centre.

South east

Campaigners from across London and the South East made a series of visits to newly designed Barclays branches in London last month to assess the new design and discuss how the bank could make their services more accessible.

On 23 September campaigners attended a workshop in Birmingham about NHS England's accessible information standard.The accessible information standard is being developed to make sure that health and social care providers have a systematic approach to recording and responding to patients' communication and information needs.

Yorkshire and humber

During February, in collaboration with the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind, we held four focus groups to help shape and create an evidence base for a new information, advice and support service at the Sheffield Hallamshire Eye Clinic.

Local campaigners, our Regional Campaigns Officer for Yorkshire and Humber, and Hull and East Riding Institute for the Blind have successfully campaigned for better rehabilitation support in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Europe and worldwide

If you use a smart phone, or tablet, you’ll no doubt use apps. Unfortunately we all know how frustrating it is to come across what sounds like a great app, only to find out that it’s inaccessible that's why we're working to strengthen EU law in this area.

In Marrakech on 28 June 2013, a long standing campaign RNIB had been coordinating came to a successful end. Well, sort of... the UN adopted a landmark copyright treaty to enhance access to books for millions of blind or partially sighted people. However, for the UK to be able to use the Treaty, the EU must ratify it. But 18 months after the Treaty was agreed, this has still not happened.